ROAD Stock Paves AI-Assisted Path To Breakout | Investor's Business DailyBREAKING: [Dow Futures Rise After Strong Nvidia Earnings]---Nvidia (NVDA) and Alphabet (GOOGL) make headlines as artificial intelligence stocks to watch, but an asphalt-centered infrastructure company has paved its way into that conversation. Now shares of Construction Partners (ROAD) stand poised to drive right into a new buy zone. A force to be reckoned with in the heavy construction industry, alongside peers like MasTec (MTZ), Sterl ...

Core Viewpoint - Concerns regarding China's reliance on American technology for advancing its AI industry are misplaced, as AI encompasses multiple industries including energy and chips, which are critical for securing AI leadership globally [1] Industry Summary - AI is described as a "five layer cake," indicating that it consists of various interconnected industries, each of which plays a significant role in the overall AI ecosystem [1] - The American industry is encouraged to compete globally to secure leadership in AI, emphasizing the importance of innovation and competition across all layers of the AI industry [1]

Earnings Overview - More than half of the S&P 500 companies have reported Q4 earnings, with 79% of the 293 companies beating expectations [1] - S&P earnings growth is projected to increase by +8.4% in Q4, marking the tenth consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth [1] - Excluding the Magnificent Seven technology stocks, Q4 earnings are expected to rise by +4.6% [1] Economic Indicators - The Q4 employment cost index is expected to rise by 0.8% [2] - December retail sales are anticipated to increase by +0.4% month-over-month [2] - January nonfarm payrolls are expected to rise by +69,000, with the unemployment rate remaining at 4.4% [2] - January average hourly earnings are projected to increase by +0.3% month-over-month and +3.7% year-over-year [2] - Initial weekly unemployment claims are expected to decrease by -7,000 to 224,000 [2] - January CPI is expected to rise by +2.5% year-over-year [2] Market Movements - The S&P 500 Index is up +0.46%, the Dow Jones is up +0.09%, and the Nasdaq 100 is up +0.61% [6] - Overseas markets are also showing positive movements, with the Euro Stoxx 50 up +0.66% and Japan's Nikkei Stock 225 up +3.89% [7] Sector Performance - Chip makers and AI-infrastructure stocks have rebounded, with Nvidia up more than +3% and AMD, Broadcom, and Western Digital up more than +2% [12] - Mining stocks are performing well, with gold prices up more than +1% and silver prices up more than +6% [13] - AppLovin is up more than +13% after positive client performance news [13] - Oracle is up more than +9% following an upgrade to buy from neutral [14] Company-Specific News - Dynatrace reported Q3 revenue of $515.5 million, exceeding consensus estimates, and raised its full-year revenue forecast [15] - Kyndryl Holdings is down more than -54% after reporting lower-than-expected Q3 revenue and cutting its profit estimate [16] - Hims & Hers Health is down more than -23% after halting sales of a new product [17] - Monday.com is down more than -21% after forecasting lower Q4 revenue [17]

Market Overview - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 50,000 points for the first time, rising 1,206.95 points, or 2.47%, to finish at 50,115.67 [1][6] - The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite also experienced gains, increasing by 1.97% and 2.18%, respectively [1][6] - Positive market sentiment was influenced by a report from the University of Michigan indicating the lowest median 1-year inflation expectations since January 2025 [5] Sector Performance - Nine of the 11 S&P 500 sector indexes rose, with the information technology index leading with a gain of over 3.7% and the industrials index up nearly 2.7% [10] - Chip stocks, including Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, and Broadcom, surged by more than 7% due to expectations of increased spending on AI data centers by major companies like Amazon and Alphabet [2][4] Company-Specific Developments - Amazon's stock fell nearly 7% after announcing plans to increase capital expenditures by over 50% this year amid the AI race [4] - Concerns arose among investors regarding potential competition in the AI space affecting margins for several software companies [5]

Market Overview - The U.S. stock market experienced a significant recovery, with the S&P 500 rising by 2%, marking its best day since May. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 1,206 points, or 2.5%, surpassing the 50,000 level for the first time, while the Nasdaq composite rose by 2.2% [1]. Technology Sector - Chip companies were pivotal in driving the market rally, with Nvidia's stock jumping by 7.8% and Broadcom climbing by 7.1%, helping to recover from earlier losses [2]. - The optimism surrounding continued spending on artificial intelligence technology contributed to the gains, with Amazon's CEO announcing an expected investment of approximately $200 billion this year in AI, chips, robotics, and low earth orbit satellites [3]. Concerns in the Market - Despite the surge, the S&P 500 faced its third losing week in four, driven by concerns over Big Tech spending and the potential impact of AI on software companies, particularly after AI firm Anthropic released free automation tools [4]. - Amazon's stock fell by 5.6% amid doubts about whether the substantial investments would yield sufficient profits [3]. Cryptocurrency Market - Bitcoin stabilized after a significant decline, rising back above $70,000 after dipping close to $60,000 [5]. - The recovery in Bitcoin prices positively affected stocks of companies involved in the crypto economy, with Robinhood Markets increasing by 14%, Coinbase Global rising by 13%, and Strategy, a company focused on Bitcoin investments, soaring by 26.1% [7]. Metals Market - Prices in the metals market showed signs of stabilization, with gold rising by 1.8% to settle at $4,979.80 per ounce and silver increasing by 0.2% [5].

Federal Reserve and Economic Indicators - The Federal Reserve cited elevated inflation and solid economic growth for its decision to keep interest rates unchanged at 3.5%-3.75%, with eight out of ten policymakers voting to hold rates steady [2][13] - Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicated that the Fed would remain data-dependent, noting that upside risks to inflation and downside risks to employment have diminished [3][6][13] - Despite the stabilization in the job market, inflation remains stubborn, and there hasn't been a significant enough change in employment or inflation to warrant aggressive rate cuts [6][13] Market Reactions and Sector Performance - The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 12.19 points (0.02%) to 49,015.60, while the S&P 500 lost 0.57 points (0.01%) to 6,978.03, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 40.35 points (0.17%) to 23,857.45 [7][13] - The S&P 500 briefly surpassed the 7,000 points milestone but could not maintain those gains, with the biggest decliners being real estate, consumer staples, and healthcare sectors [7][13] - The energy sector increased by 0.7% and technology by 0.6%, with significant contributions from chip stocks following positive earnings reports [8][13] Earnings Reports and Company Performance - Following the Fed update, investors focused on earnings from major companies, with Meta and Tesla shares rising nearly 4% and 3% respectively, while Microsoft shares fell over 3% [9][13] - IBM shares jumped 7% after its earnings report, while AT&T's shares rose after projecting annual profit above market expectations [10][13] - In contrast, Textron shares fell by 7.9% after guiding for fiscal profit below estimates, and Otis stock slipped after its fourth-quarter revenue missed expectations [10][13] Market Activity and Trends - On the NYSE, declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 1.37-to-1 ratio, with 593 new highs and 97 new lows, while on the Nasdaq, 1,710 stocks rose and 3,029 fell, resulting in a 1.77-to-1 ratio of declining to advancing issues [11][13] - The S&P 500 recorded 38 new 52-week highs and 14 new lows, while the Nasdaq Composite had 102 new highs and 125 new lows [11][13] - A total of 19.03 billion shares changed hands on U.S. exchanges, compared to the 20-day moving average of 18.29 billion [12][13]

Core Insights - The technology sector is poised for superior growth in 2026, particularly driven by demand for AI services, which is creating a robust environment for tech companies in the AI infrastructure market [1] Group 1: Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) - AMD is a leading chip supplier for consumer PCs and data centers, with revenue growing at an annualized rate of over 20% over the last two years [2] - Analysts project AMD's revenue to reach $34 billion in 2025, with a long-term growth outlook of 35% annually over the next three to five years [3] - AMD's data center revenue reached a record $4.3 billion in Q3, with expectations of over 60% annualized growth in the next five years [5] - The client segment revenue, driven by Ryzen processors, hit a record $2.8 billion in Q3, reflecting a 46% year-over-year increase [6] - AMD's gaming revenue was $1.3 billion last quarter, nearly tripling year-over-year, with long-term growth expected at over 10% annually [7] - AMD's portfolio includes adaptive computing chips, providing a competitive edge in AI solutions for edge computing devices [8] - Analysts expect AMD's earnings to grow at an annualized rate of 45% in the coming years, indicating multiple avenues for chip demand [9] Group 2: Microsoft - Microsoft has a vast ecosystem of productivity tools and cloud services, generating substantial revenue through subscriptions, including Microsoft 365 with over 400 million paid subscribers [10][13] - The company invested $69 billion in capital expenditures last year, funded by $147 billion in cash from operations, enabling the development of advanced AI chips and cloud software [12] - Microsoft Cloud revenue grew 26% year-over-year, reaching $46 billion, while Azure revenue increased by 40% year-over-year [12][14] - Operating profit grew 24% year-over-year, indicating healthy profitability alongside aggressive investments in AI infrastructure [15] - Analysts expect Microsoft's earnings to grow at a rate of 13% per year, positioning the company as a strong player in an AI-driven economy [15]

Economic Indicators - US November retail sales increased by +0.6% month-over-month, surpassing expectations of +0.5% [1] - US November PPI final demand rose by +3.0% year-over-year, exceeding expectations of +2.7% [1] - US December existing home sales rose by +5.1% month-over-month to a 2.75-year high of 4.35 million, stronger than the expected 4.22 million [4] Stock Market Performance - The S&P 500 Index decreased by -0.96%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index fell by -0.57%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index dropped by -1.53% [4] - Weakness in chip makers and the Magnificent Seven technology stocks is negatively impacting the broader market [3][15][16] - Energy producers are experiencing gains, with WTI crude oil reaching a 2.5-month high [17] Federal Reserve Commentary - Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari indicated that the US economy shows "resilience" and does not see the need for an interest rate cut this month [5] - Philadelphia Fed President Anna Paulson mentioned potential for modest rate adjustments later in the year if inflation moderates and growth stabilizes [6] International Trade - Better-than-expected trade news from China, with December exports rising by +6.6% year-over-year and imports increasing by +5.7% year-over-year, supporting global growth prospects [7] Earnings Season - Q4 earnings season is beginning, with S&P earnings growth expected to rise by +8.4%, and +4.6% excluding the Magnificent Seven technology stocks [10]

Group 1 - Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) has seen a significant increase in its stock price, rising by 247% over the past year, making it one of the top performers in the semiconductor sector [2] - The company's role in the chip industry is highlighted by its capability to supply NVIDIA with the latest memory chips for GPUs, which keeps it frequently discussed among analysts [2] - Following strong fiscal first quarter earnings that exceeded analyst estimates, Piper Sandler raised Micron's price target to $275 from $200, maintaining a Buy rating [2] - UBS also raised Micron's price target to $400 from $300, citing the growing importance of DRAM due to AI enthusiasm, while also maintaining a Buy rating [2] - Jim Cramer noted that Micron may need to expand production to meet increasing demand [3]

Market Overview - U.S. equity markets are showing a mixed but generally optimistic tone in premarket trading, influenced by geopolitical developments and hopes for interest rate cuts [1] - Major indexes are indicating a positive start, with E-mini S&P 500 futures up approximately 0.25% to 0.32% and Nasdaq-100 futures leading gains at roughly 0.55% to 0.59% [2] Geopolitical Influences - A significant geopolitical event, the removal of President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, is creating uncertainty regarding global oil supply, although crude oil futures have seen a slight dip [3] - Safe-haven assets like gold have surged due to investor apprehension amidst the political upheaval [3] Major Market Indexes Performance - The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up by 0.66%, while the S&P 500 has gained 0.19%, reaching 6883 points, marking a 0.36% increase from the previous session [4] - The Nasdaq Composite is slightly down by 0.03%, indicating a rotation within the market as some sectors outperform others [4] Upcoming Economic Events - Key economic indicators to be released include International Trade in Goods, Retail Inventories, Wholesale Inventories, and the Pending Home Sales Index [5] - A critical U.S. jobs report is anticipated, which may influence the Federal Reserve's monetary policy stance [6] Corporate Earnings Calendar - Major financial institutions such as JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo are set to report quarterly results, which will be crucial for assessing corporate health [7] - Technology giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing is also on the earnings calendar, alongside mining company BHP Group [7] Sector Developments - The artificial intelligence sector continues to drive market sentiment, with Baidu's shares rallying over 12% after its AI chip unit filed for an IPO [8][9] - In the electric vehicle sector, Tesla reported a 16% fall in fourth-quarter deliveries, while competitors like Nio, XPeng, and Li Auto saw stock price increases following their delivery reports [10] Notable Premarket Movers - Top gainers in premarket trading include Equifax up 2.50%, Paycom Software rising 1.99%, and Textron climbing 1.67% [11] - Decliners include IDEXX Laboratories down 3.06% and HCA Healthcare falling 2.00% [11]